Leave

• Discretionary Holiday (DDY)

  After six months of continuous service, a benefits-eligible employee accrues a discretionary holiday which may be used on any normal work day during a calendar year. The DDY hours must be taken in their entirety on the same day and cannot be divided among different days. Because of the SHARP payroll periods, the cutoff date to use the DDY changes each year. DDY deadline dates are communicated to employees by the Human Resource office.

• Donor Leave (DON)

  Under the Kansas State Donor Program, all classified and unclassified benefits-eligible employees may receive paid leave in accordance with the following criteria:

  Employees may receive up to 30 days of paid leave for recovery from an organ or tissue donation procedure.

  1. Employees may receive up to 7 working days of paid leave upon donation of bone marrow.
  2. Employees may receive 1.5 hours of paid leave every 4 months for the donation of blood.
  3. Employees may receive 3 hours of paid leave every 4 months for the donation of blood platelets or other approved blood products.

  Donor leave does not count as time worked for FLSA purposes. All donor leave will be paid at the regular rate, and will be paid for leave taken during regularly scheduled work hours. Donor leave only applies to active employees, and may not be used to care for family members who are donors. Verification of the donation may be requested.

• Funeral / Bereavement Leave (FNL)

  Funeral leave accommodates you and your family providing up to six days of paid leave upon the death of a person related to the employee by blood, marriage or adoption.  The amount of time granted for funeral leave will be based on consideration of the employee’s relationship to the deceased and necessary travel time. In the case of a death of a current KDA employee, the Secretary or his/her designee may grant employees the use of funeral leave to attend the service.  The Department may also allow the use of sick leave to attend funerals that do not meet the required degree of relationship as required for funeral leave. 

• General Information

  Non-exempt and exempt employees, whenever possible, should request leave in advance. Non-exempt employees request and report leave in quarter hour increments. Exempt employees record the use of vacation, sick or shared leave in half-or full-day increments. All other types of leave, such as jury duty, funeral and donor leave are recorded in quarter-hour increments. Supervisors may deny a request for time away from work of less than a half day, or may require an exempt employee to use and report a half or full day of leave if this policy is abused through excessive absences of less than half- or full-day increments.

• Holidays (HDC)

  The following days are established as legal holidays for state employees:

  • New Year’s Day — January 1
  • Martin Luther King Day — Third Monday of January
  • Memorial Day — Last Monday of May
  • Independence Day — July 4
  • Labor Day — First Monday of September
  • Veteran’s Day — November 11th
  • Thanksgiving Day — Fourth Thursday & Friday of November
  • Christmas Day — December 25

  Additional state employee holidays each calendar year are determined by the Governor. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, it is observed on the preceding Friday. When it occurs on a Sunday, it is observed on the following Monday. The established list of holidays remains relatively consistent by also including the Friday after Thanksgiving and by authorizing a “discretionary holiday.” Exempt and non-exempt employees that are required to work on a holiday are entitled to holiday compensatory time credit for the hours worked at 1 ½ hour’s credit for each hour worked. Employees must have pre-approval from their supervisors before working on a holiday. Exempt employees must still report hours worked in 4-hour increments; non-exempt staff continue to report their time in ¼-hour increments. For employees working non-standard work schedules, (four 9-hour days and one 4-hour day, etc.), the employee must revert back to a standard 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, work schedule during the week of a holiday to ensure fair and equitable treatment of staff.

• Jury Duty (JRY)

  An employee may be granted leave with pay for jury duty and certain other civic responsibilities in the best interest of the state which includes complying with a subpoena to serve as a witness before the Civil Service Board, Kansas Commission on Human Rights, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or a court.  This leave does not apply to circumstances where the employee is being called as a witness on his/her own behalf in an action in which they are a party. Requests for jury duty should be submitted in writing to your supervisor along with a copy of the appropriate documentation or your requirement to serve or appear.

• Leave Without Pay (LWP)

  The appointing authority shall determine whether approval of each request for leave without pay is for the good of the service, and shall approve or disapprove the request. The appointing authority may require use of accumulated vacation leave and accumulated sick leave before approval of leave without pay. When the leave without pay exceeds 30 days, you are also responsible for the employer’s contribution for payment of health insurance premiums unless the leave is designated for FMLA purposes. Contact the KDA Human Resources office for more information. Any employee, temporary or permanent, on leave without pay on the day immediately preceding or following a designated holiday will not be paid for that holiday. For more information regarding the rules and consequences of taking leave without pay, contact the agency Human Resources team.

• Military Leave (MIL)

  Military leave may be granted under a number of circumstances. Most frequently, it is utilized by an employee in a regular position who is a member of a reserve component of the military service of the United States. The employee shall be granted a maximum of 30 working days of military leave with pay for active duty within each 12-month period beginning October 1 and ending September 30 of the following year for those employees who participate in active duty, inactive duty, or full-time national guard duty, or any other appropriate duty status as determined by the director, that is required by the employee.  All military leave requests should be submitted in writing through your supervisor along with a copy of the appropriate military order. There are many provisions pertaining to an employee’s status under this type of leave. Should military leave be taken under these circumstances, an employee should meet with their agency Human Resources office and receive a full briefing on benefits and other conditions of employment.

• Shared Leave (SHL)

  The State of Kansas Shared Leave Program is a means for current state employees to transfer vacation and/or sick leave to a qualifying employee experiencing a qualifying serious, extreme, or life threatening illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition either personally or by a relative or household member. The program provides some income protection for employees who cannot perform regular work duties and have exhausted all forms of paid leave.  An employee must have at least six months of continuous service and a satisfactory attendance record to apply for shared leave. The maximum number of hours of shared leave that may be used by an employee shall be the total hours that the employee would regularly be scheduled to work during a six-month period.  To receive shared leave, you must complete a Shared Leave Request Form that includes an attending physician’s statement.  The request goes before the State Shared Leave Review Committee which determines whether the circumstances meet the eligibility requirements. Employees may make shared leave donations to employees approved to receive shared leave at KDA or any other state agency. Donations must be made in full-hour increments. The donating employee must have at least 80 hours of annual leave and/or 480 hours of sick leave after the donation is made.

• Sick Leave (SCK)

  Sick leave is the benefit the state provides you to remain in pay status due to personal illness or the illness of a family member that reasonably requires your presence.  This is your short-term disability benefit and accumulates at 3.7 hours per biweekly payroll period. Sick leave may only be used after it is earned and there are no established maximum accumulations. Sick leave may be used when an employee is unable to work because of personal illness or injury and for medical or dental appointments. In addition, you may use sick leave for the illness or disability of a family member, defined as persons related to the employee by blood, marriage, or adoption; and minors residing in the employee’s residence as a result of court proceedings. You may also use sick leave for the adoption of a child or initial placement of a foster child in your home when adoption or initial placement reasonable requires you to be absent from work.  Sick leave must be requested and approved by your supervisor. 

  Note:  For absences of three days or more, the supervisor may require a medical statement verifying your use of sick leave and ability to return work.

  Sick Leave Table for Non-Exempt Employees
   

  Hours in Pay Status Per Pay Period	Hours Earned Per Pay Period
  0-7	0.0
  8-15	0.4
  16-23	0.8
  24-31	1.2
  32-39	1.6
  40-47	2.0
  48-55	2.4
  56-63	2.8
  64-71	3.2
  72-79	3.6
  80	3.7

                                               Sick Leave Table for Exempt Employees 

  Time in Pay Status Per Pay Period	Hours Earned Per Pay Period
  0	0.0
  >0	3.7

  Employees with a KPERS membership date prior to July 1, 1994, may be paid for a portion of accumulated sick leave upon retirement and have it count towards the calculation of their final average salary if the following conditions have been met:

  Sick Leave Payments at Retirement

  Years of Service	Sick Leave Hours Accumulated	Hours/Days Paid at Retirement
  8 or more	800 hours or more	240 hours/30 days
  15 or more	1,000–1,199 hours	360 hours/45 days
  25 or more	1,200 hours or more	480 hours/60 days

  Employees with a KPERS membership date after July 1, 1994, may be paid for a portion of accumulated sick leave upon retirement and accrued annual leave up the maximum allowed based upon years of service, but it will not count towards calculation of their final average salary.

• Vacation Leave (VAC)

  Vacation leave accrues each payroll period and is available to use with no waiting period. An eligible employee who works full time begins accruing annual leave at 3.7 hours per biweekly pay period.  If you are non-exempt and not in pay status for the entire payroll period, both sick and annual leave is credited on a pro-rated basis. 

  Vacation Leave Table for Non-Exempt Employees: Hours Earned Per Pay Period Based on Length of Service

  Hours in Pay Status Per Pay Period	Less Than 5 Years	5 Years & Less than 10 Years	10 Years & Less than 15 Years	15 Years & Over
  0.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
  8-15	0.4	0.5	0.6	0.7
  16-23	0.8	1.0	1.2	1.4
  24-31	1.2	1.5	1.8	2.1
  32-39	1.6	2.0	2.4	2.8
  40-47	2.0	2.5	3.0	3.5
  48-55	2.4	3.0	3.6	4.2
  56-63	2.8	3.5	4.2	4.9
  64-71	3.2	4.0	4.8	5.6
  72-79	3.6	4.5	5.4	6.3
  80	3.7	4.7	5.6	6.5

  Vacation Leave Table for Exempt Employees: Hours Earned Per Pay Period Based on Length of Service

  Time in Pay Status/Pay Period	Less Than 5 Years	5 Years & Less Than 10 Years	10 Years & Less Than 15 Years	15 Years & Over
  0	0.0	0.00	0.00	0.00
  >0	3.7	4.7	5.6	6.5

  Maximum Vacation Leave Accumulation Limits

  Length of Service	Maximum Accumulation
  Less Than 5 Years	144 Hours
  5 Years & Less Than 10 years	176 Hours
  10 Years & Less Than 15 years	208 Hours
  15 Years & Over	240 Hours

  By regulation, if an employee’s annual leave balance is more than the maximum hours limit at the end of the fiscal year, the first 40 hours of overage will be converted to sick leave. Any hours above the 40 hours of overage will be forfeited. When leaving state service, employees shall be paid for unused vacation leave, not to exceed the maximum allowable accumulation, at the same time they are paid for their last day at work.

   

   

• Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

  Federal law enacted in 1993 provides that employees who have been employed for at least 12 months, have been employed in a position that requires at least 1,000 hours per year, and have worked for the state 1,250 hours in the 12 months preceding the beginning of leave, are entitled to use 12 work weeks (480 hours) of leave during a 12-month period from the first day leave was taken for qualifying circumstances.  Qualifying circumstances include:

  1. the birth of a child or placement of a child with you for adoption or foster care and care of the child upon birth or placement in your home;
  2. caring for a family member with a serious health condition; or
  3. a personal serious health condition that makes you unable to perform the functions of your position.

  The Human Resources office will provide the necessary paperwork to request family medical leave if an employee will be off work due to any of the above circumstances.  The 12-week entitlement will be counted from the date the employee is off from work due to the medical condition regardless as to whether or not the leave is with or without pay.  A release to return to work at the end of the FMLA absence is required. 

• Leave Request

  Requests for leave are submitted to the supervisor or program manager by completing the electronic "Leave Request" form accessible in Outlook. Please follow the instructions outlined in the attached PDF document. 
  

  Questions related to the Leave Request process may be directed to the KDA HR Team.
  
  
  Leave Request Instructions

• Parental Leave (PLV)

  Parental Leave Executive Order (No. 21-24)
  

  In accordance with EO 21-24, primary and secondary caregivers, along with foster parents, are eligible for Parental Leave as follows:
  

  • Primary caregivers receive eight weeks of leave;
  • Secondary caregivers receive four weeks of leave;
  • Foster parents are eligible for parental leave, with primary caregivers receiving eight weeks of leave and secondary caregivers receiving four weeks of leave;
  • Paid parental leave may be taken beginning up to thirty (30) days prior to the projected date of birth, or adoption of a child or the placement of a foster child(ren) or within the 12 weeks immediately following the birth or adoption of a child or placement of a foster child(ren).
  • The 12 week period shall run concurrently with the 12-week period covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), if the employee is so eligible.
  • State employees hired on or after July 6^th, 2021 become eligible after 180 days of employment. Current employees will not be subjected to this requirement.